I love in Deuteronomy 4 how Moses calls Israel to obedience. He doesn't shake his finger at them or talk down to them. He uses himself as an example of what happens to disobedience - consequences! We don't like that, and yet, the message is so that we are not separated from God. Moses uses himself as that example, reveals his sin and the consequence that he isn't able to enter into the promised land. I don't see him pout around like I would. I don't hear him complain that God is to hard, unfair, or unjust. He says, he cannot enter because his sin angered the LROD.
I pray that I can respond like Moses in the difficult times of life and trust fully that the Lord is faithfully at work for our good. For Moses, he didn't have to lead that stiff-necked and stubborn people. He didn't have to walk through the dusty broken creation. Even in his sinfulness, Moses entered not the promised land on the earth, but the glorious inheritance of heaven that awaits all of us who believe! Until then...we hear His call to obey and trust in every one of His promises!
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Ben
2d ago
In Numbers ?12-15?, I liked how God was in the cloud hovering over the tabernacle to communicate to the Israelites to stay where they were camped at, or to leave camp when the cloud raised up.
Haha, I sometimes don’t think God physically and intentionally interacts with me in the world, yet He does. This is a nice reminder to me to try to keep my eyes open to Him working in this present world and in my life.
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Karlee
3d ago
"Train up a child in the way he should go" - a ministry I am called to as a teacher and mother! In the throws of toddler discipleship and all that is to come as my boys get older. I constantly worry and wonder but know God takes and will continue to take care of them. I feel like I am finally starting to realize all the worries my own mother had/has with all of her kids.
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Karlee
6d ago
Trust in the Lord! The Lord saves us and we rise up in Him! I really liked the imagery reading Psalm 20 today.
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Karlee
Feb 13
I'd be curious about what "expectations" or "rituals" we should have for the Sabbath now in the present day? We're not bound by law obviously but how can we/should we use that day in a similar fashion?
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Pastor Steve
Feb 16
Replying to
Churches have taken some pretty different approaches to this question. Some push a legalistic approach and apply laws that members should follow as demonstration of their faith. Others emphasize that we are free from the law so there shouldn't be any constraints. While both should be held in tension, we don't have clear parameters. Here are a few thoughts that can direct you as you look for a good fit for your family.
Worship should be a priority. How can you set up plans for Sabbath rest by coming to Jesus, who gives and is our Sabbath rest.
Rituals give us a clear path of moving forward in the Christian faith. Immanuel provides Everyday Encounters so that families regularly grow and change while celebrating to growth through regular discipleship.
Discipleship, learning from Jesus, is the primary focus for these expectations that you establish. What do your rituals and traditions actually teach and do they reflect faith in Jesus.
Consider the importance of character that reflects your faith. Your rituals and expectations are going to reveal your Christian character (or not). Make sure your light shines.
I am sure there is much more to discuss, but these are a few of my initial guiding thoughts!
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Karlee
Feb 10
Proverbs 10 - the opposites of righteous and "other." You read it and as a believer you want to put yourself in the righteous category but so often we fall short and are sinful that it's impossible. I think today I needed that reminder that I am a sinner and will fall short but how amazing is it that I am redeemed!
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Ben
Feb 06
Psalm 13 spoke to me. How long, Lord? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
I can relate to most of this, as I have been experiencing a lot of this even this week. At times I feel absolutely crushed with sorrow. When is it going to end? (I am safe, and don’t want to hurt myself). However, I really am grateful for the last couple of verses:
But I trust in Your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me.
I don’t always want to, feel like doing this, and truly don’t have the perfect holy motivations to rejoice in God, and want to sing His praises (most of the time I don’t want to do anything close to sing the Lord’s praise while I am in pain), however, it is a nice reminder to try to trust God and in His unfailing love, even when I don’t feel like it. Thinking back on how he has specifically been good to me (roof over my head, heat in the house, warm car to drive to work, a church home, etc.) helps try to look towards God and try to do His will more, than wallow in my pain. Grateful I can bring my pain to God and He hears me, and try to walk with Him through the fire.
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Pastor Steve
Feb 06
Replying to
I too love the Psalms. They reveal true human emotion in the fullest breadth. I am often dumbfounded when I see psalmists share their frustration, grief, anger, pain with the Lord and then return to the Lord in full faithful trust in His work. When we are reminded that our God is faithful, even in the pain, anger, grief, and frustration we can cry in His arms trusting that He is working for our good. It doesn't take that all away, but points us to the cross! This is where we see how our God cares for us. If we have been join in a death like His, we will certainly also be united in His glorious resurrection! The end of the book looks good for us who believe, therefore, we know God is faithful to deliver us from all evil into the kingdom of heaven!
Until then, we lament like the psalmists...and trust in the end of our stories as well as the promise of the deliverance Jesus brings! Come, Lord Jesus!
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Ben
Jan 30
“for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
1 John 3:20 ESV
This verse and within the context of John’s letter, gives me some hope. Almost hourly, I feel my black little heart condemning me, lying to me, and flat out arguing against God. This verse reminds me that with God being greater than my black little heart, He is more powerful than my heart, and by His Spirit, He helps me choose to listen and do to what He wants me to do, rather than listen and do what my black little heart wants me to do. By God’s will and in my opinion, I don’t think I will ever get this perfect on this side of Heaven, and I am grateful He gives me the power to listen and follow Him.
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Pastor Steve
Feb 02
Replying to
Amen...we will not be perfect, but we keep on striving :-)
God is greater than it all!
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Karlee
Jan 29
It's been a long time since Old Testament class...why are there so many stipulations for how the temple should look?
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4 - how true this is now that I am a mother and not just a teacher anymore! It brings me so much joy to hear my students and children talk about Jesus, sing songs and recite Bible verses. I love hearing them pray and talk to God and share in that with them!
I also appreciate the many times in 1/2/3 John it says "talk face to face." I think in this day and age, that just doesn't happen anymore! It's hard to talk to people face to face within families but also in church. And that can be challenging when faith is also about fellowship! So I love reading this reminder again and again.
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Pastor Steve
Feb 02
Replying to
I am sure they are there the same reason why blueprints have so much information. God is sharing the vision of the tabernacle that will set them apart. It was a specific plan, that God gives clear instructions on building (as well as packing up...but that comes later). There are times I read this and cannot help but think of God's "instructions" as overkill or a distraction to my day. But God's people walk in His ways and love is commands. This isn't something we check off so that we can do our own thing. This is identity shaping. We often treat worship this way as well, but it reflect my sinfulness and selfishness. I do it with "tasks" often, but our God doesn't seek after people to do His "tasks". No, He seeks after our hearts. We do all these things because God has claimed and holds our hearts!
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Ben
Jan 24
I know this is a little ahead on our reading, however, I never realized how God, through the pillar of fire and pillar of smoke, got in-between the fleeing Israelites and the Egyptians, the night before Moses and all of Israel crossed the Red Sea. God getting in between the two groups, protecting Israel from Pharoh and his army, gives me hope that God protects me and will protect me whenever He leads me to my “Red Sea” moments. Haha, I always wondered: how come the Egyptians didn’t reach the Israelites before the Red Sea was parted. This showed why.
Like
Karlee
Jan 24
Replying to
I also never realized how Moses actually was given forewarning that the Egyptians would be meeting them at the Red Sea. I feel like in movies it's always depicted as a surprise so just another way showing that God is there and in control! And after seeing all of that the people fear God but then how quickly they (and I) turn away from Him.
I love in Deuteronomy 4 how Moses calls Israel to obedience. He doesn't shake his finger at them or talk down to them. He uses himself as an example of what happens to disobedience - consequences! We don't like that, and yet, the message is so that we are not separated from God. Moses uses himself as that example, reveals his sin and the consequence that he isn't able to enter into the promised land. I don't see him pout around like I would. I don't hear him complain that God is to hard, unfair, or unjust. He says, he cannot enter because his sin angered the LROD.
I pray that I can respond like Moses in the difficult times of life and trust fully that the Lord is faithfully at work for our good. For Moses, he didn't have to lead that stiff-necked and stubborn people. He didn't have to walk through the dusty broken creation. Even in his sinfulness, Moses entered not the promised land on the earth, but the glorious inheritance of heaven that awaits all of us who believe! Until then...we hear His call to obey and trust in every one of His promises!
In Numbers ?12-15?, I liked how God was in the cloud hovering over the tabernacle to communicate to the Israelites to stay where they were camped at, or to leave camp when the cloud raised up.
Haha, I sometimes don’t think God physically and intentionally interacts with me in the world, yet He does. This is a nice reminder to me to try to keep my eyes open to Him working in this present world and in my life.
"Train up a child in the way he should go" - a ministry I am called to as a teacher and mother! In the throws of toddler discipleship and all that is to come as my boys get older. I constantly worry and wonder but know God takes and will continue to take care of them. I feel like I am finally starting to realize all the worries my own mother had/has with all of her kids.
Trust in the Lord! The Lord saves us and we rise up in Him! I really liked the imagery reading Psalm 20 today.
I'd be curious about what "expectations" or "rituals" we should have for the Sabbath now in the present day? We're not bound by law obviously but how can we/should we use that day in a similar fashion?
Proverbs 10 - the opposites of righteous and "other." You read it and as a believer you want to put yourself in the righteous category but so often we fall short and are sinful that it's impossible. I think today I needed that reminder that I am a sinner and will fall short but how amazing is it that I am redeemed!
Psalm 13 spoke to me. How long, Lord? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
I can relate to most of this, as I have been experiencing a lot of this even this week. At times I feel absolutely crushed with sorrow. When is it going to end? (I am safe, and don’t want to hurt myself). However, I really am grateful for the last couple of verses:
But I trust in Your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me.
I don’t always want to, feel like doing this, and truly don’t have the perfect holy motivations to rejoice in God, and want to sing His praises (most of the time I don’t want to do anything close to sing the Lord’s praise while I am in pain), however, it is a nice reminder to try to trust God and in His unfailing love, even when I don’t feel like it. Thinking back on how he has specifically been good to me (roof over my head, heat in the house, warm car to drive to work, a church home, etc.) helps try to look towards God and try to do His will more, than wallow in my pain. Grateful I can bring my pain to God and He hears me, and try to walk with Him through the fire.
“for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
1 John 3:20 ESV
This verse and within the context of John’s letter, gives me some hope. Almost hourly, I feel my black little heart condemning me, lying to me, and flat out arguing against God. This verse reminds me that with God being greater than my black little heart, He is more powerful than my heart, and by His Spirit, He helps me choose to listen and do to what He wants me to do, rather than listen and do what my black little heart wants me to do. By God’s will and in my opinion, I don’t think I will ever get this perfect on this side of Heaven, and I am grateful He gives me the power to listen and follow Him.
It's been a long time since Old Testament class...why are there so many stipulations for how the temple should look?
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4 - how true this is now that I am a mother and not just a teacher anymore! It brings me so much joy to hear my students and children talk about Jesus, sing songs and recite Bible verses. I love hearing them pray and talk to God and share in that with them!
I also appreciate the many times in 1/2/3 John it says "talk face to face." I think in this day and age, that just doesn't happen anymore! It's hard to talk to people face to face within families but also in church. And that can be challenging when faith is also about fellowship! So I love reading this reminder again and again.
I know this is a little ahead on our reading, however, I never realized how God, through the pillar of fire and pillar of smoke, got in-between the fleeing Israelites and the Egyptians, the night before Moses and all of Israel crossed the Red Sea. God getting in between the two groups, protecting Israel from Pharoh and his army, gives me hope that God protects me and will protect me whenever He leads me to my “Red Sea” moments. Haha, I always wondered: how come the Egyptians didn’t reach the Israelites before the Red Sea was parted. This showed why.